Charles Leclerc 'ashamed' after crashing during qualifying for Barcelona Grand Prix

[p]The 28-year-old Formula 1 driver will start ‌10th on Sunday after plunging into the tyre barrier in Saturday's final phase, ‌with teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a] lining up on the front row ‌between the two Mercedes.[/p][p]At his home Monaco Grand Prix last weekend [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]‌Leclerc[/a] clipped the wall in qualifying and crashed in the ‌race.[/p][p][b]"I just feel very much ashamed to be here after a crash like that,"[/b] he told Sky Sports television.[/p][p]"What did I do? I released ‌the brakes earlier and I tried to ⁠carry speed. I think on ‌the previous lap, we were close to being the fastest car on ​every corner apart from turn four.[/p][p][b]"I knew I had to make everything perfect for that lap and I ​tried, but I obviously regret it."[/b][/p][p]Leclerc said changing his brake discs to the same brand as Hamilton was not the cause ⁠of the crash.[/p][p][b]"The feeling ​with the car was amazing and I didn't deliver. If anything, it's a lot worse than that; I put it into the wall,"[/b] he said. [b]"So there's no excuses. I just felt ashamed.[/b][/p][p]"The ‌only positive I can take is that the feeling that I have in the car is back and tomorrow I feel optimistic that we can have a good race."[/p][embed guid="ceff2dfb-842f-43b2-9e00-4b551fcef304" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2065846157562237395" social-type="twitter" /][p]Hamilton, runner-up in the previous two races and second in the standings, said he had left the track between final practice and qualifying to clear his head and focus in his motorhome.[/p][p]The front row, with Mercedes's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]George Russell[/a] on pole, was his first since joining ‌Ferrari last season. Runaway championship leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Kimi Antonelli[/a] qualified in third ​place.[/p][p][b]"This is the closest we’ve been pace-wise, I think, ‌in quali,"[/b] said the Briton. [b]"I’m so grateful to the guys back in the team... I really want them to know how thankful I am, because it felt great out there to put a lap together and see that we’re ⁠that close, this early.[/b][/p][p]"We’re still ⁠early in the season, ‌you know, so the fight is on."[/p]